Badges of the Sevii Islands
by Margaret Hannah Jamieson
Summary: Desmond, son of Pokémon researches, is about to begin his quest to collect the seven Sevii Island Gym Badges with his three untrained Pokémon. Will he be successful in his quest, or will the skill of the new Gym Leaders leave him beaten and battered?


**A New Champion, A New Adventure**

Desmond remembered the day Vulpix turned up at his door, bruised and battered, whimpering outside in the pouring rain.

His dad was a Pokémon researcher, and a friend of the famous Professor Birch. His mum was a housewife, and a Pokémon breeder. The three lived out on their own, living a happy, but slightly isolated existence in the middle of the Hoenn region. They lived amongst many Pokémon, owned and bred by Desmond's mother and father.

"When you grow up, Desmond," his father always said. "I hope you love Pokémon the way we do."

Desmond would always laugh, and nod. "Of course, Dad! No matter what happens!"

He had never owned a Pokémon of his own, until he was eight years old. It was a wet day.

Desmond had been looking outside, watching the rain gather in puddle in the grass outside their house. For hours, there was nothing but drab sky and muddying grass, and Desmond sat, bored, stroking a Zigzagoon his mother was caring for.

He spotted the Vulpix stumbling into a puddle, making a hurt face as its body splashed into the water.

"Mum! Dad!" Desmond had cried. "There's a Vulpix outside!"

His parents mustn't have heard him, and the Vulpix started to make its way towards the door.

"Mum! Dad!" Desmond said a little louder. There was still no response from his parents.

The Vulpix was scratching at the door, obviously in need of help.

"Well, you know what they say," Desmond said to himself, making his way to the door. "Sometimes, you have to take matters into your own hands."

He opened the door, and looked at the Vulpix as it whimpered, its body dripping with rain. The Fox Pokémon looked up at Desmond, a look of sadness in its big eyes. Desmond smiled, and bent down to pick it up.

"Hello," he said, closing the door and moving over towards the fire. "My name is Desmond, and I'm going to make you all better."

He placed the Pokémon in front of the fire, and it nipped his finger affectionately. Desmond smiled widely, before realising that the drying Pokémon was making a puddle of water on the carpet.

"Oh no!" he cried, running into the kitchen. He sifted through the draws, looking for a tea towel.

"What you looking for, Desmond?" his dad had walked in without him realising. Desmond turned around, surprised.

"Uh, nothing," he said nervously. "Just a spoon."

"Well, the spoons are usually kept here…" his dad opened a draw, and held up a spoon.

"Thanks, Dad!" he said, taking the spoon, then running to the front room, dropping the spoon as he went.

"Hmm…" Desmond's dad walked into the living room, to witness Desmond stroking the Vulpix.

"I'll get a tea towel in a minute!" he whispered loudly.

"Desmond…"

At that point, Desmond's dad was thinking about taking the Vulpix away, but then he realised that at some point, Desmond would have to herald his own interest in Pokémon, and why not that time be now?

"I'm sorry Dad, but he's so cute, can I please keep him?" Desmond had cut into his dad's thoughts, startling him.

"Well, for starters, we don't even know if it's a boy or a girl!" Desmond's dad had said. "But alright. You can keep it. If you promise… to raise it so you can train it one day."

Desmond laughed. "I'd like that very much, Daddy."

"Desmond! Come quick!"

Desmond, hearing his mother's voice come from the living room, rolled over, his Mudkip falling off his stomach in the process.

"Kiiiip!" he cried, spraying Desmond in the face.

"Hey!" Desmond said. "Watch it, buddy!"

"Desmond!" his mother cried again.

"I'm coming!" he yelled back. "Elekid, Mudkip, Vulpix. Let's go!"

His three Pokémon cried in joyful unison.

Desmond lifted himself up, his Pokémon posse following suite, and ran into the living room. His mother and father were in front of the television, staring intently at the screen.

"It's a message from the Indigo League!" his father exclaimed. "We think their announcing the new Champion!"

"Oh, come on!" his mother said loudly. "We've all known it's Ywazeey for months now!"

"Yes, but apparently he's going to showcase three of his new team members in a battle with Lance. Or at least he's going to reveal them."

Desmond's eyes lit up, and he positioned himself in front of the screen, his three Pokémon crowding around him. Vulpix sat on his left, her tail stroking his face. Mudkip sat on his right, rubbing against his leg. Elekid sat on his lap, his body pulsating with electric power, warming Desmond's lap.

Desmond loved watching Indigo League updates. The news of the amazing trainers always thrilled Desmond; people that good at Pokémon battling interested him immensely. He dreamed that, one day, he'd get all the Sevii Islands Gym Badges and challenge the Pokémon League.

Desmond and his family had moved from their homeland of Hoenn four years ago, when Desmond was eight years old, to the town of Three Island, on Kin Island, in the Sevii Islands. His parents had moved once they had heard the announcement of the Sevii Pokémon League, and decided that Pokémon research had a much brighter future in that area. Desmond hadn't minded the move; he had always lived away from people, and enjoyed living in a town surrounded by people.

When they had moved, Desmond's mother had to clear out all her Pokémon eggs, so they wouldn't hatch in the move. She decided to give a Mudkip egg she had spare to Desmond, who hatched it on the trip into a Mudkip. This joined his other two Pokémon, the Vulpix he had found at his door when he was younger, and an Elekid his father had helped him catch. These three Pokémon had become his close companions in the years to come, and he even began to train them.

After a few minutes of needless fanfare and presenters talking, something was finally appearing to happen on the TV. The Elite Four, which at the time was composed of Lance, Karen, Bruno and Will, walked from behind a curtain, seating themselves behind a long desk. A large crowd had gathered in front of the Indigo Plateau's Pokémon League building, and they began to cheer as the Elite Four seated themselves.

"Presenting… the Indigo League Elite Four!" an announcers voice rang out loud over the screams of the crowd.

"Oh, my," Desmond's mum said. "This is exciting!"

"Wasn't it you who was knocking it just a few minutes ago?" Desmond's dad said wryly. His mum elbowed his dad, making him gag.

On the TV, Lance, the former Pokémon Champion, stood up and raised his arms for silence. He cleared his throat, then raised a microphone to his mouth.

"Today," he said, his voice resonating across the crowd. His hair blew in the wind, and he took a second to readjust it. "We make Indigo League history. In fact, today we make Pokémon history. Because never before have we ever seen a Champion like the one I am about to introduce to you. Never before have we seen someone so powerful, with so much potential, and yet so young! Never since the great trainer Red graced our halls for a few months have we seen someone with so much potential. In fact, perhaps the trainer in question is more powerful than Red, since just a few months ago he defeated that said trainer in battle, up at Mt. Silver. No, never before have we had such a young trainer become a definite Champion. Ladies and gentleman, may I introduce to you, from New Bark Town, seventeen years old, Champion… Ywazeey!"

The crowd went mental as the young, short, slick black-haired boy stepped out onto the stage, tailed by an Electivire, which stood slightly taller than him. Ywazeey and his Pokémon stepped up to the microphone, taking it from Lance. After almost a minute, the crowd quieted down.

Ywazeey cleared his throat. "Uh, hello everyone."

The crowd went off again.

Desmond's mum was in the kitchen, washing the dishes. Desmond stalked in, his hands holding an envelope behind his back.

"Mum," he said meekly.

"Yes, dear?" she replied, not taking her eyes off the dishes.

"I got something in the mail."

"That's nice," she continued to scrub a plate.

"It's from the Pokémon League."

Desmond's mum stopped, dropping the plate into the basin of water.

"I got a trainer's licence."

Desmond's mum turned to Desmond, a tea towel over her shoulder.

"Well," she said, her voice wavering. "If you think you're ready for this… your father and I are happy to… let you go."

Desmond nodded. "Okay."

"When will you be leaving?"

"I was kind of hoping tomorrow. What with the announcement about Ywazeey and all, I thought it would be an appropriate time."

"Do you think Vulpix and the others will be up for battling?"

"Yes, I do."

"Where will you go first?"

"Knot Island! Seagallop Ferry to Knot Island!"

Desmond's gaze had been wandering over the blue horizon, and he jumped when his mother embraced him tight.

"Be good," she said. "Make sure you ring us once a week. And visit us!"

"Don't worry, mum," he said. "I will!"

His mother let go, and Desmond turned to his dad.

"Remember that rainy day, Desmond?" he said, putting his hand on Desmond's shoulder. "Remember when Vulpix turned up out our door, and I let you keep her, take care of her?"

"Yes, I do, dad," Desmond said.

"Perhaps, then, it is my fault that you are leaving today. So I'm not going to say that I'll miss you, son, because it'll only be my fault, because I have, deep down inside, always dreamt of the day you'd leave, and come home a great Pokémon trainer. So, good luck, son."

They embraced, and Desmond turned. His Pokémon were at his hip, and he had a full, heavy bag on his back, filled with supplies and information regarding Pokémon. He turned once more, waved to his parents, then boarded the Seagallop Ferry.

It was a short, fast trip to Knot Island. Although the islands were close, it was too dangerous to use Pokémon to get between them, as the sea in between was rocky and unpredictable, too dangerous for Pokémon to navigate, as well as just too far for a Pokémon to realistically manage. The only way to get between the islands or the mainland was by the Seagallop Ferries.

Desmond disembarked from the boat, a fresh look on his face. He looked around the town of One Island, his eyes sparkling. Despite it only being early morning, the town was already bustling with Pokémon trainers, hoping to train in the Pokémon Gym or up around Mt. Ember. Dozens of potential battles awaited Desmond, and stores lined the pier, hoping to entice new trainers into buying their products. The trainers dashing about looked so happy, so assured of themselves, as if Pokémon training was their entire lives. Life was obviously good.

Desmond realised, without even having his first Pokémon battle, that this was the life for him.


End file.
